This invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel inspection device used for a final inspection or the like which is carried out on a liquid crystal display panel in an array step, a cell step, a module step or the like in a production line of a liquid crystal display panel and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display panel inspection device which is suitable for inspecting a liquid crystal display panel having electrodes arranged at fine pitches therein and adapted to accomplish the inspection at a reduced cost and a method for manufacturing the same.
A production line of a liquid crystal display panel includes an array step, a cell step, a module step and the like, in each of which a liquid crystal display panel inspection device is used for inspecting or checking electrical characteristics of a liquid crystal display panel, picture quality thereof and the like, so that any defective product is removed from the line to increase production efficiency. A liquid crystal display panel inspection device which has been conventionally used for this purpose includes a panel holder provided with a holding section for detachably holding a liquid crystal display panel and a plurality of spring probes (pogo pins) arranged at a periphery of the holding section so that the spring probes are abutted against electrodes of a liquid crystal display panel mounted in the holding section for inspection.
Unfortunately, the conventional liquid crystal display panel inspection device has the disadvantages of causing an increase in a manufacturing cost of the device because of using the spring probes and rendering the inspection difficult and troublesome because of causing pitches between the electrodes to be reduced.
In particular, the latter problem of rendering the inspection troublesome is disadvantageously amplified in inspection of a color liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display panel of high resolution. More particularly, electrodes of a color liquid crystal display panel are arranged at pitches one third as large as those of a monochromatic liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display panel of an SVGA standard has a resolution of 800.times.600 pixels, which is increased as compared with that of 640.times.480 pixels of a liquid crystal display panel of a VGA standard. Thus, it is highly desired to solve the problem due to an increase in the demand for a color liquid crystal display panel and a high-resolution liquid crystal display panel. The current technological level fails to reduce electrode pitches to a level below 50 .mu.m, because of being restricted by a TAB substrate for a drive IC and the like.